The Dueling Tournament

Friday rolled around, and the participants in the Dueling Club were very excited. Finally, it was time for the tournament.

"The first round will be Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw and Slytherin versus Hufflepuff," explained Professor Chiron. He seemed to have grown inwardly angry since Dumbledore confronted him, and his usually well-kempt auburn hair was an uncombed mess about his face. His eyes bore dark circles as though he hadn't slept since the incident. This all gave him a sinister air, but Harry knew this was simply the stress of being watched intently by the headmaster.

The first round commenced, and immediately all of the students began firing spells. Balls of flame and twirling masses of sparks whizzed every which way as the competitors traded shots. However, Harry observed that the Ravenclaw team was being more calculating and calm. They set up team-oriented casts, successfully bringing Pavarti down in an instant. She rose though, much to Ron and Harry's relief.

As soon as she was on her feet, Pavarti launched a ferocious stupefy at her sister, Padma, who barely dodged it. "Expelliarmus!" called Harry, but his spell was easily deflected by its target.

Next, the Ravenclaws targeted Ron. After he fired a few jinxes in the direction of Cho, he was abruptly hoisted into the air by a levicorpus from the third Ravenclaw dueler. Padma wasted no time in casting orbus at the upside-down Gryffindor. He was caught up in a magical vortex, spun increasingly rapidly. All of a sudden, the whirlpool of blue light vanished, depositing him some distance from the mat. He tried to get up, groaned, and flopped back down.

"We need a plan!" exclaimed Harry.

Pavarti blocked a stupefy from her sister and thought a moment. "I've got it!" she declared. "Turn that guy's head into a pumpkin," she said, pointing to the youngest Ravenclaw, who no one knew the name of. She dove under a shockwave and called, "Be ready to transfigure his wand!"

"What?" said Harry, confused.

"Now!" Pavarti ordered. She was never this authoritative.

"Malafors!" Harry uttered. A pumpkin abruptly enveloped the Ravenclaw boy's head. Now what? Harry wondered.

He did not have to wait long to find out, for Pavarti suddenly cried, "Expelliarmus!" The befuddled opponent's wand flew out of his hand and high into the air.

Harry realized now what he had to do. "Orchideous!" he called, and the foe's wand immediately transformed into a beautiful—and useless—bouquet of assorted flowers. He caught it deftly, but when he tried to free himself from the pumpkin with a quick relashio, only to find that what he held in his wand was indeed not his wand.

"Stupefy!" said Pavarti, finishing off the lad.

"Great idea," commented Harry.

"Great execution."

Suddenly, six red bolts lanced outward. Each foe had cast stupefy three times in quick succession, effectively creating a mesh of dangerous beams. Pavarti could not get her wand up quick enough, so Harry dove in front of her and cast protego. There was an intense white flash, but the Gryffindor student hit the floor, conscious. He looked across the mat to see the projectiles shoot back faster than they had come, effectively pelting Cho and Padma into submission.

"Gryffindor moves on to the next round!" hollered Chiron, but he was not nearly as enthusiastic as usual.

Slytherin tried to win their match using a myriad of dirty tricks, casting many curses and finally serpensortia, which did little. With one partner breaking out in boils and the other blinded, Cedric single-handedly obliterated the huge black snake Malfoy had conjured, and then he proceeded to knock all three of the Slytherins onto the mat in a matter of seconds.

"Hufflepuff moves on to the next round!" Chiron announced. In fact, there were only two rounds. He had planned on having two teams per house, but there just wasn't much of a turnout. Next year, he promised, it would be more interesting.

"Good luck," said Cedric, saluting briefly with his wand. He was ever the noble one.

"You too," replied Harry, stunned by this show of sportsmanship.

"Commence dueling!" cried Professor Chiron, and Cedric wasted no time in blasting Harry with a series of flippendos. The Gryffindor student did a triple back flip and landed hard on his face. However, he couldn't help but wonder why Cedric hadn't just taken him out with stupefy. This was a marvel.

Ron performed much better this time, taking out Hannah, who kept pausing to scratch at the last of the blisters on her cursed face. Then, after Pavarti was sent flying back by the third-year's overzealous depulso, Ron brought him down too.

Now there were only three competitors remaining, but Gryffindor had an advantage in their numbers. In reality, this was really just leveling the playing field a little, as Cedric's seventh-year skill and natural talent was that of the equivalence of ten duelers combined.

"Expelliarmus!" cried Harry, but the Hufflepuff held onto his wand as if the spell was a mere fly hitting it.

"Stupefy!" retaliated Cedric, but his cast was diverted at the last minute, craftily catching Ron off guard. He was felled before he realized the trick that had been played on Harry and him.

"Tell me," said Harry, sidestepping a locomor mortis, "Why didn't you just finish me at the start? You certainly could have."

"What would have been the fun in that?" laughed Cedric. However, it wasn't a cold, malicious laugh. It was a genuine, good-natured chuckle. Harry couldn't help but admire this amazing student. "Ebublio!" he cried, abruptly charging his opponent. A cloud of sweet-smelling bubbles converged on Harry's face, making him close his eyes and cough. He opened them to see that his vision was still effectively clouded by the dancing bubbles.

"Expelliarmus!" came a call from very nearby. Harry's wand flew from his grasp, and the bubbles dissipated quickly. "Well done," said Cedric, and then he uttered, "Accio!" His foe's wand zipped under its owner. The Hufflepuff snatched it from the air and examined it. "A fine wand," he commented. "And a fine wielder." With that, he flicked the tool back into Harry's hands, but there was no danger in doing so. Hufflepuff was victorious.

"Hufflepuff wins!" declared Chiron, presenting a large yet simple gilded cup to the team. Collin Creevy rushed in from somewhere in the classroom and snapped a quick photograph as Cedric and his teammates hoisted the trophy triumphantly.

"Great work, guys," said Harry to his fellow Gryffindors.

"You too," said Ron.

Suddenly, Harry was blinded by a bright flash. "I can see the headlines now," said Collin, lowering his bulky camera. "Hufflepuff Student Defeats the Boy Who Lived!"

Harry was discouraged by the title he had carried for most of his life. "Don't you have something better to do, Collin?" he asked, a hint of menace in his tone.

The third-year shrugged, snapped another picture that left Harry dazed once more, and dashed away to the Grand Staircase.

Thanks for reading! I know many of you would have liked to see Gryffindor win the tournament, but do not fret; there is a reason for this chapter being written so. Please review!